NASA, the latest news from the US space agency
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NASA is the space agency run by the United States to oversee American space exploration, research and technology. NASA, or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, was founded in 1958 as a civilian agency for U.S. space exploration. Prior to 1958, the agency's progenitor was known as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. NASA develops, builds and launches missions to study the Earth, moon and sun, as well as the entire solar system and beyond. The agency has its headquarters in Washington D.C., with major centers in Florida (the Kennedy Space Center for launches) and Houston (the Johnson Space Center, home of the astronaut corps). Other centers are spread across the country for scientific research, test flights and spacecraft manufacturing. NASA's current chief is Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who is leading the agency's mission of returning astronauts to the moon and sending them on to Mars. See the latest NASA news.
Related Topics: Apollo Program, China Space Program, Incredible Space Tech, International Space Station, Interstellar Travel
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Latest about NASA
![a fuzzy streak of light close to the horizon below a sky full of stars](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VPy3kK44RwBH8qyHbQTv9S-320-80.jpg)
Space pictures! See our space image of the day
By Space.com Staff last updated
Space.com's image of the day rounds up the most awe-inspiring space photos right here, with a new image everyday.
![An illustration shows the Einstein Probe and two possible explanations for a powerful cosmic explosion it witnessed](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/evbp4jZWJ7dEqN4i65dkLo-320-80.png)
Astronomers unsure what caused 'weird explosion' seen by Einstein Probe's X-ray eye
By Robert Lea published
Was a powerful cosmic explosion seen by the Einstein Probe launched by a supermassive black hole snacking on a star, by a gamma-ray burst, or by something entirely new?
![an astronaut in the foreground on the right looks at a clipboard checklist as her underlings in the background maneuver turquoise machinery to move supplies around the lunar surface. A starry sky and the Earth hang above a horizon that rolls over a moon hangar.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qih7DiHikoaT7Sj2ijheHT-320-80.jpg)
NASA just gave these 9 companies $24 million to dream up Artemis moon mission tech
By Julian Dossett published
A bevy of space companies will lend a hand to NASA's moon goals under new contracts centered around the agency's upcoming Artemis missions.
![four statellites float above earth staring at the sun spewing out long solar rays.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/42wMFhyMziKfzNkEs2wtJg-320-80.jpg)
NASA's launching a new sun mission this month: 'PUNCH is going to see a total solar eclipse'
By Monisha Ravisetti published
Scheduled to launch on Feb. 27, NASA's PUNCH mission could revolutionize space weather forecasts, unify the solar corona and the heliosphere, and help improve astronomy techniques.
![a four-wheeled robot in a cleanroom under UV lights](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MoJwdBZFvo7DWzJnssQ2tm-320-80.jpg)
VIPER back from the dead? NASA asks US companies to partner on ice-hunting moon rover
By Mike Wall published
NASA is asking U.S. companies for proposals to move forward with the ice-hunting VIPER moon rover, a $450 million project the agency canceled last summer.
![mars appears dusty red with white patch at the bottom.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FhLXYCxTX49wr6eWCENTXL-320-80.jpg)
NASA pauses work by key space science groups amid Trump executive orders
By Tariq Malik published
The space agency's planetary science analysis groups must pause while NASA checks if they comply with Trump's orders.
![the oval office in the white house with the president at his desk and press photographers across from him with insets showing where a moon rock had once been and an urn has taken its place](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iLhbTxL5TH8oaSjCFK3LGd-320-80.jpg)
Trump administration removes Apollo moon rock from White House Oval Office
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
Whether President Donald Trump still supports returning astronauts to the lunar surface remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: the moon no longer has a place in his White House.
![an astronaut in a white space suit stands beside the chinese flag on the moon](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KhL9E7znBKhmYmQqErSWub-320-80.jpg)
A red moon: Will the next 'Sputnik Moment' be made in China?
By John Kross, Rod Pyle published
The next Sputnik Moment will take place against the backdrop of great power competition, as it did in the 1950s. This time, the top contenders are the U.S. and China.
![Artist's illustration of SpaceX Starships on Mars.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HPBMsab2ZsB4npXn9PhRpG-320-80.jpg)
Trump wants the US to land astronauts on Mars soon. Could it happen by 2029?
By Keith Cooper published
There are many obstacles to overcome before humans can set foot on Mars, including problems surrounding launch mass and closed-loop systems and the hazards of space radiation.
![embroidered circular patches, one mounted to a backing card, displaying the same design of an astronaut in a multicolor spacesuit floating above Earth.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Tshk2szCdHTPBFdgkrywJR-320-80.jpg)
Astronaut's mission 'back to Earth' lands on colorful spacesuit patch
By Robert Z. Pearlman published
Astronaut Nicole Stott, who has made it her mission to promote the healing power of art and the need to protect our planet, has inspired a new "Signature Edition" embroidered patch.
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